San Bernardino senior center theft means no meals Monday

Certified backflow tester Edward (Steve) Rudkin works to replace a backflow prevention device that was stolen, preventing the preparation of meals at the Fifth Street Senior Center in San Bernardino on Monday.

Certified backflow tester Edward (Steve) Rudkin tightens a pipe as Acting Building Maintenance Supervisor Rick Moreno and and Park Maintenance Supervisor Jesse Sandoval wait to turn the water back on, after the theft of a backflow prevention device stopped the preparation of meals at the Fifth Street Senior Center in San Bernardino on Monday.

SAN BERNARDINO >> The theft of a backflow prevention device shut down the Fifth Street Senior Center on Monday and prevented staff there from preparing 200 lunches that normally feed hungry senior citizens at centers across the city, staff say.

City employees replaced the device and restored water flow later in the day, meaning the Monday-through-Friday service lost only one day, but that can make a big difference for seniors with limited transportation and money.

“I’ve gotten numerous calls from seniors, especially because it’s the first day after the weekend,” said Kathy Mallon, a member of the city’s Senior Affairs Commission. “When things go wrong, it just can send things upside down.”

The Fifth Street Senior Center is the only senior center in the city with a kitchen, so the loss of water there prevented any of the city’s senior centers from getting prepared food Monday, said Parks and Recreation Director Mickey Valdivia, who oversees the centers.

It’s become frustratingly common to have city services stifled because thieves take copper wire and other materials to sell for scrap metal, with two backflow prevention devices stolen last week, Valdivia said.

“This is a city-wide epidemic,” he said. “Now it’s hitting the seniors. There could be some positive outcome from it: Once our seniors are disturbed it raises consciousness to just how serious this is. Our residents need to help us be more diligent, make sure they’re active in their neighborhood watch and let us know if they see anything suspicious.”

Valdivia and workers at the senior center said the thief probably got less than $50 from the device, while replacing it — including staff and contractor time, the lock on the steel cage that protected it and other costs — will set the city back hundreds or thousands of dollars.

Police Lt. Rich Lawhead said he didn’t have any information on the theft.

But given how common such actions have become, the city should have prepared a backup plan so seniors didn’t go hungry, Mallon said.

“Nobody was thinking outside the box on this,” Mallon said. “We should have had a backup plan on this.”